Chances at Reed, Whitman, Hamilton, Carleton, and Tulane

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Here goes:</p>

<p>Gender-female
High school-private</p>

<p>Freshman year:
4.2 W</p>

<p>Sophomore year: cue the jaws music.
4,3 W</p>

<p>Junior year: (can only provide course load)</p>

<p>Anatomy
AP English
Pre-Calculus
AP Us History
AP Spanish V</p>

<p>Senior Year: (again, can only provide course load)</p>

<p>AP Chemistry
some form of calculus
AP Government
AP English Lit
AP Spanish VI</p>

<p>Test Scores (haven't taken SAT/ACT)below predictions based off sophomore psat)</p>

<p>Math-will probably be upper 500s to mid 600s
reading- 700+
Writing-700+</p>

<p>Awards:</p>

<p>Various writing competition wins. </p>

<p>100 community service hours. </p>

<p>Main Extra-Curriculars:</p>

<p>Newspaper (9th-present)
Yearbook (9th-present)
Student Council (10th)
Miscellaneous clubs requiring minimal time commitment.</p>

2

<p>This isn’t really an answer: If you can get your grades up and get over 1400/2100 on the SAT, you could be a 50/50 match at all of these schools.</p>

3

<p>Hi guys. I would really appreachiate a response! I am trying to figure out which schools I should take the time to visit in the coming year. Basically, my major concern is too many Bs and too many hyper- qualified applicants. Again, I look forward to your insight. P.S. If the length of the post is scaring you off, I apologize. It’s the spacing, not the seventy two clubs you have to dig thru.</p>

4

<p>thanks vossron! So you think my grades, even for Whitman, will be a problem?</p>

5

<p>My weighted GPA is a 4.4. Sorry for leaving that important tidbit out!</p>

6

<p>Good. That could make you a match for most of the schools.</p>

7

<p>Are you asking for fin. aid???</p>

8

<p>juniormints…I liked you description of Carleton. I am an Alum of Carleton.</p>

<p>-They will like the fact that you are from the deep south. Carleton likes that diversity. A few things to think about are below:</p>

<p>Will you need Financial Aid? Carleton is need Sensitive meaning that it gives advantage to those who do not need it, and disadvantages some who do. Below is a discussion about it that I would read thru.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/carleton-college/739892-will-high-financial-need-hurt-my-chances-carleton.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/carleton-college/739892-will-high-financial-need-hurt-my-chances-carleton.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Does your school give out class rank when you apply to colleges? If you are on the High Honor Roll and have a good class rank, I don’t think the B’s matter as long as you can get good references.</p>

<p>If I’d recommend one EC that may show that you’re a good fit, I try some sort of drama production. You may be doing that in your Thesbian society. Carleton is strangely big on drama. A number of students participate. They have a drama instructor who puts on plays, and also a student run theater that has students write and direct plays. This drama stuff seemed to be a nice source of entertainment for the weekends.</p>

<p>The Ultimate frisbee thing is great. I’d stress that.</p>

9

<p>Sorry, I am only familiar with three of these colleges, so here it goes.</p>

<p>Reed: One of the best liberal arts in the Pacific Northwest. However, I have to warn you that Reed=Weed. I am assuming that an all-girl’s school is quite conservative. If you could handle one of the most liberal (and not just Liberal Arts either) colleges in the US, and possibly the world, I would strongly recommend it.</p>

<p>If you pull your grades up and score 2200+ on your SATs, you would be a good match.</p>

<p>Whitman: Since Whitman is in Washington, I believe you have the geographical advantage. I can’t imagine many people applying from the Deep South. Based on your grades, this should be a MATCH, assuming you raise your grades for junior year. </p>

<p>Carleton: Deep South to Minnesota? I hope that you are prepared for the temperature differential. However, this little LAC is an underappreciated hidden jewel, and not too much competition. Again, pull up your grades and score a decent SAT score, and you would be a good MATCH.</p>

<p>Campus visits: Whitman is located in Walla Walla in South Eastern Washington, and since it is over the cascades and away from the Pacific Coast, temperature differentials from the Deep South shouldn’t be radically different. Mind you, since it is more north, it will be cooler. Same with Reed, although it will be a lot more rainy.</p>

<p>However, you MUST visit Carleton, during the WINTER, meaning January or February—at the coldest season. The academics are nice, but remember that you will be spending 4 years of your life here. If you can’t handle the cold, get out of the ice box.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/746334-what-my-chances-these-liberal-arts-colleges-others.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/746334-what-my-chances-these-liberal-arts-colleges-others.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Would you mind divulging your AP scores?</p>

11

<p>I am more into Tulane. That is one place where your GPA might not matter as much. However, if your SATS fit or exceed the range. You have a very good chance. Also New Orleans !!!</p>

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<p>Lenalenin- no problem. I actually am a rising junior, so I can’t help you too much on next years APs, but I found out today that I made a 4 on European History. I know on these boards that is almost shameful, but, quite frankly, I am relieved. The course is listed on our school profile as “accelerated honors”, but our prof. asked five of us to give it a shot. In short, it wasn’t taught as an AP. We didn’t even make it to the cold war. We receive AP credit.</p>

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<p>omega007- no, I will not be requesting financial aid.</p>

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<p>jack63, I realize this is best reserved for another thread, but how would you rate/describe your experience at Carleton? Right now, it’s taking everything I have to hold my own in an argument as to why in the world I would want to crawl into an icebox (samsunimomo) for four years at a college most of our friends and family, as southerners, aren’t familiar with. Your thoughts.</p>

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<p>Samsunimomo,
thanks for your practical advice. You sound like my mother, which is a compliment. She is very logical. I noticed you “represent” Oregon, meaning you have likely had some, even if limited, contact with a Weedie err…Reedie…and if you haven’t, you probably know something or other about the college…Like you mentioned, coming from a conservative high school, it certainly would be a change. But having been at a conservative high school, I’m looking for one. It isn’t that I’m liberal-I’m independent. I’m just ready for an experience. I don’t think I could find that at W&L or Vanderbilt. Well, I guess arguably every college is an “experience”, but I’m in the market for something RADICALLY different- not high school without the uniforms.</p>

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<p>Jack63, no, our school does not rank. Our entire grade is less than seventy so if you aren’t in the top six or seven, bam! you’re out of the top 10%. I’d guestimate I’m in the top 15%, though, no less than twenty-after a lousy test haha. You know, top 12% when my shoes are tied just right and I’ve had my wheaties.</p>

17

<p>Jack63, </p>

<p>you mentioned drama productions…I was in a play this past year, but I was thinking, this year I might get out of the spot light and try some behind the scenes work…for instance, working the light/sound boards, maybe landing stage-manager? Do you think being a techie would look equally good? I really enjoy performing, but our plays take up an enormous amount of time. Morgan Freeman left a good chunk to our drama department, so productions are professional and coincidently eat up your life. The difference? We don’t get actor’s equity haha.</p>

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<p>juniormints…Minnesota is cold and being so far north, the Winter lacks sunlight. There is no doubt this bothered some people. I don’t mind cold, and I seem to have the opposite reaction with sunlight. Too much sunlight depresses me. Carleton was close to home also. I must admit though that below 10 degrees bothered me, and there were some nights where it got about -20…this was only at night though. </p>

<p>It depends what you want out of College. I liked Carleton because I fit in well Socially, and really liked the students I got to know. The academics are really good, and it helped a lot with getting into grad school. In some ways, Carleton is really focused on grad school prep. If you want to go to grad school afterwards and want close relationships with your professors, it is a great place to be. If you want a job afterwards, and may consider grad school for later in your life, you may be better going to a larger school with more industry connections…my opinion…some at Carleton would disagree and I believe Carleton is trying to change this and do a better job placing students for jobs. Also, personally having classes under 20 students wasn’t that important to me. I sometimes thought I did a little better in larger classes. Hope this helps.</p>

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<p>So would you do it all over again? What is the social life like? Do you know how Carletonians do in the medical school admissions process? I want to be a neurologist :slight_smile: Something that worries me just a bit is that Carleton has a reputation for being challenging, meaning your grades are bound not to be as high as they would have been at your state university, which isn’t good for graduate school…Have you found among friends that this compromises your chances?</p>

20

<p>juniormints…Here are answers to your questions…</p>

<p>Do you know how Carletonians(I’d recommend saying Carls) do in the medical school admissions process?
-Generally good! For example one of my roommates got into a MD/PhD program(and completed it) in his home state of Mass. I knew a number of Carleton Grads that got into med school. They got into really top schools too. You may be able to find stats about it. They do have a few pages on the Carleton Homepage devoted to Medical School admissions. With all of that being said, Med school admission is damn tough and it didn’t work out for everybody. I knew some students that had to go to Medical school in different countries because they could not get into programs in the US. You need to perform in the classes and MCAT. No undergrad institution is going to be a silver bullet to get you into Med School. </p>

<p>Does the tough grading process at Carleton Compromise your chances?
-This is actually a really good and insightful questions. Carleton’s grades tend to be slightly lower than some schools, but many programs in the US are aware of this and will cut Carls some slack. For example, a 3.5 to 3.6 can usually get you into med school somewhere. If you are getting at 3.4 to 3.5 you can often get into top 10 science and engineering PhD programs. I heard of a guy with about a 3.6 something getting into Harvard law. With all this being said, it is not easy to get these grades in pre-med courses. Carleton’s rep will help get into many med schools.</p>

<p>I’m not a Doctor, but I ended up taking a number of pre-med courses. Some of these courses had the worst curves in Carleton(ie Biology or Calc II). They may of had a 2.50 average. The Chemistry and Physics seemed to have a higher average with most of the Class getting A’s and B’s. Many prep school kids who wanted to be Doctors would actually take these course when they really could have and should have tested out of them. They were basically retaking the courses. I would also recommend not to take a horrible load anytime during your first year. Don’t take a Calculus, Biology and Chemistry course all together your first term. The thing is that many of these Pre-med courses will be tough anywhere you go.</p>

<p>What is the social life like?
-I liked it. Nobody had cars, so you spent lots of time on campus. There were lots of things to do on campus. Often revolving around your floor, major and other activities you were involved in. The Twin cities were a 45 minute bus ride away.</p>

<p>So would you do it all over again?
Sure!</p>